Saving Baby Nancy

This is how Baby Nancy arrived.

Baby Nancy's shattered condition upon arrival prompted me to devise a plan to make her whole. Initially, I was going to use a form of papier-maché to repair the vinyl body, but I had to piece it together like a puzzle first.

The video below describes the repair process using micropore tape, Mod Podge, plastic, felt, and paint.*

 

*After placement of the felt mentioned in the video, it was covered with layers of micropore tape and Mod Podge and allowed to harden sufficiently before the body was painted. 

 A Before-and-After Collage

Once shattered, Baby Nancy is now whole

Thank you again to the doll friend who allowed me to rehome Baby Nancy.

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A Thoughtful Gift
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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

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Baby Nancy, Strong Museum National Toy Hall of Fame Finalist!

2020 National Toy Hall of Fame finalist article, "Yahtzee, Baby Nancy, My Little Pony up for honor," in a photo by Virginia.

One of my blog readers emailed images of an Associated Press article published on Sunday, September 13, 2020, in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about the 2020 National Toy Hall of Fame finalists. One of the 12 finalists is Shindana's first doll, Baby Nancy! I was very excited to know that Shinanda's first doll has been honored in such a manner. Whether she wins or not, it is important the little doll that started Shindana Toys is recognized.

I contacted The Strong National Museum of Play, the sponsor of this hall of fame, to get clarification on why the 1969 version of Baby Nancy was nominated instead of the 1968 version. (The 1968 doll is actually the first Baby Nancy by Shindana.) Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, curator at The Strong, explained, "We do not have an original version of Baby Nancy in the collection. When we knew Baby Nancy was a finalist we looked for an original and found only one available. Unfortunately, that fell through shortly before the announcement. We’d be grateful for any help you could provide us with acquiring an original." I could not offer any leads other than eBay's auction site. If you have an original Baby Nancy that you would like to donate to the museum please visit their Donate to the Collections page for details.

From the same article is a quote about the finalists.

According to The Richmond Times-Dispatch article, which quotes Christopher Bensch, vice-president of collections,  "These 12 toys represent the wide scope of playthings -- from simple sidewalk chalk that has its roots in ancient times, to Baby Nancy, which proved a turning point in the representation of race in dolls..."

The 12 finalists and a brief description are included in this photo taken by Virginia of the Richmond Times-Dispatch article. 

Unfortunately, I was not aware of Baby Nancy's inductee honor until voting on the finalists concluded on September 16, 2020. The final inductees will be announced on Thursday, November 5, 2020. 

I must once again express how super excited I am that Baby Nancy was inducted and became a finalist.  Thank you again, Virginia, for the newspaper notification.

Related Links

Baby Nancy, Shindana's First Doll

 

Press Release, Finalists

National Toy Hall of Fame Past Inducted Toys

MIBDH: The Shindana Story and One of Its Main Characters

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Baby Nancy ~ Shindana's First Doll

Operation Bootstrap (OB) was formed in 1965 by two African American gentleman in the aftermath of the Watts, California riots, which began on August 11, 1965, and ended August 15, 1965.  In an attempt to rebuild the community, provide job training, and jobs for community residents, Louis Smith and Robert Hall are said to have organized OB with a $1,000 loan from an AA businessman.

As a result of Smith and Hall's dedication, Shindana Toys, a Division of Operation Bootstrap, opened its doors in 1968.  Local residents were employed in the Shindana doll factory, thus achieving OB's goal to provide jobs for poor African Americans and improve the economy in their community.  Follow the Operation Bootstrap (history) link below for an in-depth overview of the company, its founders, and other divisions designed to uplift the Watts (Los Angeles), California community.

From 1968 through 1983, Shindana Toys designed and manufactured dolls that looked like real black people.  Their motto was:  Dolls Made by a Dream.  Shindana, which means competitor in Swahili,  trained and employed doll makers and became the nation's largest manufacturer of black dolls and games.

Baby Nancy #1, Shindana's first doll, ©1968

 Baby Nancy (1968) was Shindana's first doll.  Several versions were released.  According to image #36 in the Operation Bootstrap Gallery PDF file (see link below), the first Baby Nancy had short curly, rooted hair.  Baby Nancy #2 had two long side ponytails with bangs.  The hair color for both versions was black.  In the image above, Baby Nancy dolls on the left and right wear their original multicolored dresses.  The use of different fabrics for dolls that may have been produced in the same year was a common practice for Shindana Toys because they used what was available.  The doll in the middle is a played-with, redressed version of Baby Nancy #1.

Baby Nancy Paper dolls, 1971

As shown above, there were also Baby Nancy paper dolls printed by Whitman ©1971, in the likeness of the second, two side ponytail with bangs, version.  The boxed set includes 23 punch-out fashions, the 9-1/2 inch doll, and plastic stand. 

Baby Nancy, ©1969, gets new face.

The Baby Nancy shown above, stock #2002, has a box copyright date of 1969 and was probably released to market in 1970.  Stock #2003 Baby Nancy, released the same year, had short curly hair.  Both dolls use the Zuri (1972) face mold.  Zuri, which means beautiful in Swahili, was another Shindana baby. 

While Shindana Toys received funding and technical assistance from outside sources such as Mattel and Chase Manhattan Bank, initially it maintained full control of its products and operations.  In 1974, Shindana became the first black-owned company to lease space at New York Toy Fair, gaining national recognition. Unfortunately, the decline in profits ensued after the 1976 tragic death of Shindana's original president and one of the original organizers of Operation Bootstrap, Lou Smith. 

Baby Nancy helped pave the way for the hundreds of dolls Shindana Toys produced.  The doll's manufacture changed the Watts riot chant of "Burn, Baby Burn!" to "Learn, Baby Learn!" and pulled "unemployables up by the bootstraps into paying jobs." Operation Bootstrap (history) 

Non-enlargeable thumbnails of additional early Shindana dolls along with images of key players who organized Operation Bootstrap can be viewed in the Operation Bootstrap Gallery.

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Unique Black Doll Stationery

Image used for stationery items

I often hand write personal notes, notes of thanks, and replies to people who have written me. Corresponding with others via email is okay; but mailed, handwritten notes go a step further when writing replies or expressing my sincere gratitude.  When writing these notes to fellow doll enthusiasts, I enjoy using stationery that contains images of dolls from my collection.   Doll lovers appreciate anything doll related. 

In May 2009, I gathered a few dolls that possess a unique characteristic and photographed them as a group. I uploaded the image to Vistaprint.com* where I ordered note cards and envelopes, note pads, and self-adhesive return address labels.   The image used (shown above) covers the front of the note card; the back is blank with the exception of the statement/question at the very bottom:  Black dolls are my passion ... what's yours?  A smaller version of the image appears in the top center of the note pad, and a thumbnail version is used on the return address labels.

Front of doll note card printed on linen-looking card stock paper by Vistaprint.com

My previous blog regarding dolls made in America reminded me of my doll stationery. Other than being Black, each doll used for the stationery image shares the unique characteristic that it was made by an American doll artist (or company) of African descent. The dolls and their artists/company are as follows:

(Back Row, L-R)

Kemi is a one-of-a-kind dark leather doll by Lorna Paris that I first saw on exhibit during the 2005 International Black Doll Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After suffering deep regret for not buying the doll at the convention, I contacted Lorna by phone and purchased Kemi a few weeks later.

Lou Ellen is a one-of-a-kind cloth doll with hand-painted features crafted by independent doll artist, Gloria Young. Lou Ellen is part of the Lil’ Color’d Girls series and holds a basket of black berries. The doll’s creation was inspired by the phrase, “The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.” After Gloria made the doll, she shared pictures with me and shared the doll's story.  This was an immediate purchase.

Kayin is a one-of-a-kind porcelain trunk doll by Goldie Wilson. I chose the Yoruba name Kayin, which means a child who has been desired for a long time. Kayin has a handmade trunk and several outfits made by Goldie. The tricycle with basket and wooden bear seen in the picture belong to Kayin.

(Front Row, L-R)

Kayla is a limited-edition resin doll by Lorna Miller-Sands, who is well-known for her life-like babies.

Walnut Baby is a one-of-a-kind, spring-jointed doll carved from walnut wood by master carver, Floyd Bell.

Baby Nancy by Shindana Toys, Inc., is the first doll manufactured by the company known for being the first American company to mass-produce ethnically correct Black dolls. Baby Nancy’s head is marked: Div. of/Operation Bootstrap, Inc. USA/©1968 Shindana. The Shindana Toys, Inc. division of Operation Bootstrap, a Black-owned and operated business, made Black dolls designed by Black people from 1968 until the company ceased operation in the early 1980s.

After two years, its time to reorder, or choose another group of dolls to replenish my supply of unique Black doll stationery.
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*Vistaprint.com is an Ebates.com affiliate.  Linking to their website from Ebates.com prior to making a purchase will generate 5% cash back, if you are a registered Ebates user.   

BDHT: Shindana's Slade, OJ, and Dr. J.

Shindana Toys Inc. created toys for girls and boys.  Three such boy toys are Slade Super Agent ©1975, OJ Simpson ©1975, and Dr. J. ©1976.  All three are 9-1/2 inch, jointed figures with accessories.

Instead of weapons, which the company was opposed to including with their toys, Slade Super Agent, stock #9010, has a back pack with a special signaling device.  Slade wears a brown faux leather suit, orange turtleneck, and brown shoes.  The Super Agent Set, #9020, includes the basic doll with additional accessories, and an extra silver protective suit, front wrap, and gloves.

The back of Slade's box reads: 

From the neighborhood, the war, and college he learned it all!

The neighborhood:
He learned how to survive by knowing, understanding, and dealing with people.

The War:
Taught him how to survive by going for days without food or sleep.  How to track without being seen.  He learned hand to hand combat:  weapons, communications, underwater diving & sky diving.

College:
He learned to live through education.  Being strong in math, computer electronics, & business; he searched for a job to make use of all his talents, his thirst for thrill and adventure, his hunger for more excitement & knowledge.  With crime & corruption overtaking our world, his search was ended. 

Code Name:  SLADE
                      Super Agent

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The 1976 Shindana Catalogue describes the O. J. Simpson action figure as:

The Juice is on the loose this season as Shindana introduces the only doll in the likeness of All-American running back O. J. Simpson. O. J. is a 9-1/2" male action figure, featuring a fully-jointed vinyl body, that is sure to score this year.

Shindana's doll artists successfully captured (no pun intended) O. J.'s likeness.

O. J. Super Pro, stock #9000, includes the basic doll with helmet, shoulder pads, jersey, pants, two-toned football shoes, striped socks and football.

O. J. Super Pro Set, stock #9005, includes everything in the pro set in addition to a complete assortment of athletic accessories, a tank top and shorts set; a running suit; three track hurdles; a row boat with two oars; a tennis racket, tennis ball, tennis outfit; and a set of weights with two stands.

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Dr. J. Super Pro, Shindana's stock #9025 (a portrait doll of Julius Erving) includes the 9-1/2-inch figure dressed in a basketball uniform, wristbands, knee pads, striped socks, and white sneakers. The set included one basketball.

Dr. J. Super Pro Set #9030 includes the basic doll plus two basketballs, a basketball goal, a running suit, sweat socks, basketball sneakers, a jumpsuit, boots, a camera, and a tennis racket with a frame.

The Dr. J. action figure reflects Dr. J.'s  1970s image.

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Additional images and information on Slade Super Agent,  O. J. Simpson, and other dolls and toys by Shindana Toys Inc. are included in the Shindana 1976 Catalogue.  The Dr. J. action figure appears in the 1977 Shindana Catalog Supplement.   During this time (1976/1977), the company prided itself on being a "manufacturer of the world's most complete line of Black toys."

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BDHT: Shindana's First Fashion Doll

#1 Wanda Career Girl by Shindana Toys ©1972

She's ebony in color, made of soft, pose-able vinyl, has rooted hair and eyelashes, and resembles Mattel's vintage Christie.  She's Shindana's first fashion doll, Wanda Career Girl and stands a diminutive 9 inches. 


The original Wanda  Career Girl, stock #2050 is described in the 1973 Shindana Cataglogue as, "Shindana's all new career girl. Her shag hairdo gives her that 'in look' for work 'n play.  She is 9" tall with a twist waist, movable arms and legs, and real rooted hair 'n lashes.  Wanda is dressed in a basic green tunic with matching shoes."  Like a few other Shindana dolls, a white version of the original Wanda Career Girl  was also made, stock #2150. 

A scan of page 4 from the 1975 Shindana Toys Catalogue features Wanda Career Girl as a singer/performer; sky diver/race car driver; tennis pro; doctor (described as a nurse in the accompanying booklet); stewardess; and ballerina.  With the exception of the sky diver/race car driver, each Wanda Career Girl came with an extra casual fashion and a booklet describing the career the doll depicts. 

The booklet, illustrated above, features pictures of and comments from an African American nurse, a ballerina, and a stewardess (now known as flight attendants).  There is also an invitation for girls to join the Wanda Career Club.  To learn about their favorite career, girls were urged to send letters to a South Central Avenue address in Los Angeles, California.

In addition to the #1 Wanda Career Girl, I own the others illustrated in the 1975 Shindana Catalogue.  Their images are included below:

Wanda Career Girl Singer/Performer and Tennis Pro

Wanda Career Girl Skydiver/Race Car Driver

Wanda Career Girl Nurse

Wanda Career Girl Stewardess

Wanda Career Girl Ballerina

Shindana's attempt to educate children and inspire career goals and aspirations through the dolls, toys, and games they manufactured was certainly successful with Wanda Career Girl.  Wanda plays an important role in  doll history, too.  She is the first multi-career-oriented fashion doll mass produced by a black-owned company in America. 

BDHT = Black Doll History Tidbit

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MIBDH: The Shindana Story and One of Its Main Characters

The Shindana Story

Originally printed in the March/April 1990 issue of

Doll-E-Gram, published by Lavern E. Hall

Louis S. Smith the original president and founder of Shindana Toys - Photograph courtesy of his son, Louis S. Smith, Jr.

"Shindana Toys, a division of Operation Bootstrap, Inc., stands alone as the largest black-owned and operated toy company in the world. It had its genesis in the rubble of the 1965 Watts revolt and it emerged in 1968 with a will to compete in the face of discouraging odds. A practical recognition of this spirit is reflected in the selection of the name “Shindana” – it means competitor in Swahili.

"Shindana was founded by Lou Smith and Robert Hall without government subsidy or aid. Substantial working capital, technical assistance and equipment were provided initially by Mattel, Inc., with no strings attached, as an expression of that company’s commitment to its social responsibility in the Los Angeles community.

"Once the operation got underway, Mattel began turning more and more responsibility over to Shindana personnel, under whose directions it would either succeed or fail. From the beginning, Shindana’s development bore the unmistakable imprint of Lou Smith’s leadership and insight, coupled with the hard work and determination of hundreds of people. It was this spirit of dedication that enabled Shindana to survive as a business whose goal was to help build the base of financial support for Operation Bootstrap.

Baby Nancy, Shindana's first doll

"In its first year, Shindana produced a single product – a Black doll named Baby Nancy, the first ethnically correct Black doll made in America*. Baby Nancy was designed with truly “Negroid” features which were in contrast with the typical pattern of Caucasian dolls simply painted Black, and she was a success in the marketplace. Production of Baby Nancy dolls began in November 1968, and the combined efforts of Shindana and Mattel made it possible to manufacture and ship 8,000 dolls in time for the first Christmas season.

"In 1971, sales reached $1.5 million and the young company began to repay some of its financial obligation. Despite the loss of some of its key personnel, the company continued to produce products under the steadfast leadership of Lou Smith.

Shindana's First Fashion Doll, 9-1/2-inch, Career Girl Wanda is shown in their 1975 catalog.

Shindana's first Wanda (1972) wears a lime green micro-mini dress and matching shoes... check out the "shag" hairstyle.  Wanda also resembles Mattel's first Black Christie (friend of Barbie).

"The company marketed a line of 32 Black dolls and 6 Black-oriented games. Mr. Lou Smith is to be remembered, for his vision helped make the difference between success and failure. He never wavered from Shindana’s objectives of providing jobs with pride in the ghetto and showing people that they can help themselves, and that in the process they can learn to love those who may be different from themselves. He believed that “the only plan is the commitment.” Today, Shindana dolls are collector items.

"Mr. Smith and his young daughter were killed in an automobile accident in 1976 in California."

Doll-E-Gram’s Holiday Festival of Black Dolls’ “Shindana Award” [was] given annually in honor of Mr. Lou Smith. Doll-E-Gram is no longer in publication.

While Shindana is well known for being the first US company to mass-produce ethnically correct Black dolls, the company incorporated Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Native American dolls into its product lines before operations ceased in the early 1980s.

*Ms. Hall's article indicates Baby Nancy was the first ethnically correct black doll to be made in America; however, Ideal's Saralee Negro doll, manufactured from 1951-1953, holds this title. 

Links to Shindana Dolls and Articles:
9-1/2 inch Action Figure:  O J Simpson, Dr. J., Slade, Talking J.J.
1975 Toys R Us Ad featuring Jimmy "JJ" Walker Doll
Black Doll-E-Zine Article on Black Owned-Operated Toy Companies
Better Image of Slade
Ebony, December 1969 Article, "Black Dolls are Now Big Business"
Ebony, September 1971, Shindana ad
Ebony, November 1975 Article, "Toys That Build Pride"
Current eBay Shindana Doll Auctions
Completed eBay Shindana Doll Auctions